The Downward Spiral. Getting fired by Tennessee might not be the worst thing that happens to Bruce Pearl. (Lonely Tailgater)
When Bruce met Mike (kind of). Recalling The Jimmy Collins-Deon Thomas scandal. Involving a then-young assistant coach named Bruce Pearl, and a then attorney named Mike Slive as part of the cast of characters. (Deadspin)
It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday. Tennessee assistant basketball coach Mark Pancratz says goodbye to the Vols' Nation on his blog. (The Pancratz Full Court Press)
Are you pondering what I'm pondering? The inevitable question on whether or not Tennessee athletic directer Mike Hamilton will be the next to lose his job in the Bruce Pearl recruiting scandal. (Go Vols Xtra).
Still going. Despite missing practice on Monday with a sprained ankle, Florida guard Kenny Boynton is expected to play Thursday night against BYU. (Rivals.com)
FOOTBALL
In other SEC recruiting scandal news, The NCAA is reportedly nearing the end of an investigation into alleged LSU recruiting violations in 2009. (nola.com)
The King's eye on the Tiger. Chuck Oliver takes a look at LSU running backs as part of his "College Football Today" segment on Atlanta's 680 The Fan, and says Spencer Ware is someone you should keep an eye on. (ChuckOliver.net)
A.J. McCarron or Phillip Sims? Alabama's quarterback controversy officially begins with the start of the Crimson Tide's spring practice. (al.com)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Oh snap! Tyler Fortenberry, aka J.T. Bowtie, has somehow managed to get on a reality TV show. Fortenberry became infamous for his pro-Alabama alter ego, a Bama-banged fratboy who ridiculed fans of other SEC schools during the 2009 season on YouTube. Well, at least he did until death threats made him pull his videos. Now he's made it to the hallowed fields of basic cable.
Fortenberry is a cast member of a Flavor of Love knockoff called Love Games: Bad Girls Need Love Too, which will air on Oxygen. (If this was subtitled "Naughty Girls Need Love Too" I'd be more inclined to watch it). In his bio, Fortenberry claims that "prides himself in being the epitome of a Southern gentleman." (Ahem) He's also listed as "a manager and in-store model at Abercrombie and Fitch." Like you needed another reason to hate him.
(via Friends of the Program)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Derek Dooley is at it again. First His Hairness tried to realign state borders for his own recruiting purposes. Then he tried to ban his own mother from entering the state of Tennessee. (That one didn't quite work out, however.) Now Dooley is taking delusional shows of power by SEC coaches to a new level by altering the calendar. This isn't 2010 anymore, Tennessee fans. This is Year One.
“I kind of feel like this is Year One and last year was Year Zero,” Dooley said in his pre-spring practice press conference on Monday. “It was such a unique situation that we walked into last season, it didn’t feel like your first year. I feel like right now, this is Year One."
So if this is Year One, does this mean Dooley is Jack Black? And if so, does it make Tyler Bray Michael Cera?
At least you can't say that Derek Dooley doesn't think big. Or that he doesn't have delusions of grandeur, for that matter. Both of which tend to be qualities of either a great football coach, or a completely insane football coach. Or in many cases, both.
(via Go Vols Xtra)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

How much does it take to get rid of a college basketball coach? If you're Tennessee it costs $948,728. That's what it cost the school to pay Bruce Pearl as part of his dismissal agreement. This along with paying the salary of his assistant coaches on his staff through July 31. That's pretty cheap, when considering what it costs to get rid of a coach for being lousy as opposed to being juts crooked.
(via Rivals.com)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

The Times They Are A-Changin'. Nebraska begins spring practice with a new offensive coordinator, a new offensive strategy, and an up for grabs starting quarterback job. (Big Red Today)
Just sayin'. Comparing Jim Tressel to Bruce Pearl, which is just what you would expect a Michigan blog to do. (The Big House Blog)
To market, to market. Lake the Posts interviews Northwestern senior associate athletic director in charge of marketing Mike Polisky looking back at 2010 and looking forward to marketing the 2011 football season. (Lake the Posts)
Naming the trophy for the Nebraska-Iowa rivalry. Naturally, the word "corn" shows up a lot with two of the three top corn producing states in the nation. (Corn Nation)
BASKETBALL
Don't Believe the Hype. One of the keys for Michigan to repeat it's 2010-11 success not to listen to hype between now and the start of the 2011-2012 season. (Detroit Free Press)
First stage: Denial. Boiled Sports reacts to Purdue's ouster in the NCAA Tournament by declaring "It wasn't supposed to end this way." (Boiled Sports)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Tennessee students who support now fired Tennessee head men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl showed their disapproval of the firing by painting messages of support for Pearl on The Rock.
They may be naive in their support for Pearl, but they've got a good point in saying that Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton should be let go too.
(via Go Vols Xtra)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

According to sources at both the AP and ESPN, Bruce Pearl is an ex-Tennessee men's basketball coach. The school has yet to make an official statement, however.
Pearl has been embroiled in a recruiting scandal all season, which ended for himself and the Volunteers last Friday with a loss to Michigan. The only thing holding up the official announcement, according to ESPN, is a financial settlement for Pearl and his coaching staff.
(via Rivals.com, ESPN)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Alabama has a player in trouble with the police on the eve of spring football practice. Safety Mark Barron was arrested in Mobile, AL, on hindering prosecution charges. Nick Saban is probably not too pleased about this.
(via al.com)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Tennessee is "botching" Bruce Pearl situation. Because Jeff Schultz said so. Shut up. Jeff. (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
You think? Tennessee assistant coach Terry Jones blame's the Vols' early NCAA Tournament exit on the team being "distracted." (Go Vols Xtra)
A tale of two programs. The state of the Tennessee men's and women's basketball teams are as different as night and day. (Go Vols Xtra)
"No shame, little glory" in Georgia's first round loss in NCAA Tournament. Because Mark Bradley said so. Shut up, Mark. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
"The five stages of Commodore fandom." How Vanderbilt fans handle a first round loss in the NCAA Tournament. (Anchor of Gold)
FOOTBALL
Least shocking statement of the day. Urban Meyer says he misses coaching. (ChuckOliver.net)
Putting two and two together. Meyer misses coaching. Ohio State may be needing a coach by the end of the 2012 season. Hmmm...(Leather Helmet Blog)
Thug life. Auburn players making gang signals. (Sports By Brooks)
"Tyler Wilson will make Arkansas fans forget Ryan Mallett." Because Chadd Scott said so. Shut up, Chadd. (ChuckOliver.net)
By the way, Chadd Scott got fired from his job at 680 the Fan in Atlanta for tweeting complaints about a station sponsor. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
How to waste $900,000. Georgia adds home game against South Alabama to 2014 schedule. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Yes, Bruce Pearl supporters went there. At least they didn't use this pic for the Obamafying:
Of course the next obvious question is if there's a Team Pearl, can a cookbook a la Team Leach's Fat Little Girlfriends Cookbook be far behind? (If it is, let's hope Team Pearl remembers to make all the dishes kosher.)
(via Rocky Top Talk)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

GQ has come out with its list of "The Worst Sports Fans In America." It's no surprise that Philadelphia tops the list. Not only that, it takes the top two spots, with one each for Phillies and Eagles fans. But West Virginia Mountaineer fans might be a little hot under the collar for landing the #3 spot on the list, thus becoming the de facto worst college sports fans in America.
What earned West Virginia the dubious spot over the amazingly annoying Cameron Crazies of Duke (who only merit a #8 on the list) or the more violent antics of Penn State (#7)? Apparently a hopeless devotion to pyromania.
"But what really defines the West Virginia University faithful is their devotion to celebratory arson. The school led the nation in intentionally set street fires from 1997 to 2003, lighting up an unmatchable 1,120 blazes."
1,120, blazes in seven years? That apparently counts for more than even the worst riots by #5 Maryland on the list (including one that did $500,000 of damage in 2001).
The other school fanbases on the list include Penn State (#7), LSU (#10), Wisconsin (#13), and Oregon (#14).
(via GQ)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton started an internet frenzy yesterday. In an interview with a Knoxville radio station, he placed doubts on the Vols' head basketball coach Bruce Pearl's employment status after the end of this season. Today reports come out that Hamilton called Pearl to apologize for the statements.
Pearl is reported to have said that "I think Mike would have prepared for it to not come out like this."It doesn't sound like the eventual meeting between the two following the team's exit from the NCAA Tournament will be a very warm and fuzzy occasion.
(via Go Vols Xtra)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles

Before he was a Super Bowl champion wide reciever for the Green Bay Packers, Jordy Nelson played for the Kansas State Wildcats. Which would explain the appearance of Willie the Wildcat at the end of has to be the cheese(head)iest commercial ever filmed. This being how he bought his wife a car from Kansas State Motors for their anniversary. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll be embarrassed by the cheesy script Nelson was given.
(via Total Packers)
Originally Pubished at: Shirts With Random Triangles